SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- The quality of smartphone manufacturers' warranty services provided in South Korea fall behind those of other countries despite the average sales prices being higher here, industry watchers said Tuesday.
Samsung Electron

SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. said Tuesday they will further focus on selling crossovers and minivans in the United States this year to boost their overall performance.
In the January-February peri

SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- The U.S. Federal Reserve is not expected to unveil a surprise shift in its monetary policy position following this week's rate-setting meeting, market analysts said Tuesday.
The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) is ti

SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- Despite a persistent job crunch, the number of the short-term unemployed in South Korea fell the most in 71 months in February, data showed Tuesday, as more people gave up searching for jobs.
The number of people who hav

The following stories are scheduled to be covered by Yonhap News Agency. Your queries are welcome. Yonhap's English-language news desk can be reached by telephone at 82-2-398-3451 (general) and 82-2-398-3460 (economics), and by email at jjhwang@yna.co.

Multilateral trade pact
Korea needs to join revamped 11-member TPP
What should South Korea do to avoid the raging wave of trade protectionism in the United States? This question is hard to answer because the Asian economy has yet to find effecti

SEOUL, March 20 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's producer prices edged up in February to hit a more than three-year high due to a sharp rise in prices of agriculture and fishery products during the Lunar New Year's holiday, central bank data showed Tuesday.

SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon asked his U.S. counterpart to urge Washington to exempt South Korea from stiff steel tariffs, his office said Monday.
During a meeting with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuc

The following is the second summary of major stories moved by Yonhap News Agency on Monday.
----------------
Prosecution seeks arrest warrant for ex-President Lee
SEOUL -- Prosecutors on Monday sought an arrest warrant for former President

(ATTN: RECASTS throughout with details; CHANGES headline)
GWANGJU, March 19 (Yonhap) -- Unionized workers of Kumho Tire Co. vowed Monday to stage strikes this week as 1,500 white collar employees expressed their support for a plan by creditors to sell

SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- Shares of Hyundai Motor Co. and its affiliate Kia Motors Corp. plunged Monday as the U.S. probe into airbag-related accidents raised worries over potential recall costs for the carmakers.
The U.S. National Highway Traff

(ATTN: CLARIFIES Paik's comments in fourth para)
By Kim Eun-jung
SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's commerce minister on Monday raised cautious hopes for getting an exemption from the United States over proposed tariffs on Korean steel produc

(ATTN: CLARIFIES type of JTC's business in headline, lead, para 3)
SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- Japanese tax-free shop operator JTC Inc. said Monday its shares will be listed on South Korea's secondary bourse early next month as the company pushes t

(ATTN: ADDS bond yields at bottom)
SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- South Korean stocks ended lower as investors took a cautious stance before the U.S. monetary meeting this week. The won fell against the dollar.
The benchmark Korea Composite Stock Pri

GWANGJU, March 19 (Yonhap) -- The head of a state-run creditor bank and representatives of the labor union of Kumho Tire Co. held a meeting on Monday, but failed to find agreement on the proposal to sell the troubled tiremaker to China's Qingdao Double

SEOUL, March 19 (Yonhap) -- A group of South Korean scientists have developed a minimally invasive technology to diagnose and treat cancer by using light-emitting diodes (LEDs) and laparoscopy, the state-run institute said Monday.
The Korea Electro